5 Ways You Can Save Money With a Portable Air Conditioner

Many home or business owners dread opening the energy bill every month. Warmer months usually mean you are running your air conditioning unit, which causes your utility charges to jump. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can save money on your bills, with one of the easiest being by utilizing a portable air conditioner. These small, convenient units can either supplement or replace your existing system.

Here are five ways investing in a portable A/C unit will save you money every month.

1. One Room at a Time

It doesn’t matter if you live in a studio apartment or a large home; a portable air conditioner can reduce your cooling costs by targeting just one room, instead of keeping your whole home at that same level. In a small apartment, the unit can run in place of a central unit. If you are in a larger building, a portable unit can move from room to room as it is needed.

Consider, for example, having it in your bedroom at night to keep you comfortable while you sleep. When the sun rises, simply move the unit down to your home office or other living space. By just cooling one room at a time, you use less energy and therefore lower your bills.

2. Piggyback on Your Existing Unit

There are two main reasons you might consider running a portable unit in addition to your central AC:

To keep your costs manageable all year

To appease the needs of keeping one room or one person particularly cool

If you find you have to run your central A/C unit year-round, you likely are not thrilled with the way your energy bill looks every month. With a portable unit, you can actually run the central A/C at a higher temperature and simply use the smaller unit to keep a certain room or area cool.

You also might find that you prefer your bedroom to be particularly cool but do not want your central unit turned way down just to accommodate that one area. Consider placing a small portable A/C unit in your bedroom so you do not need to pay to chill the entire house.

3. Fun Features

The little gadgets associated with a portable unit do more than give techies another toy with which to play; they actually reduce your costs. Take, for instance, a programmable timer. Many devices come equipped with these tools so you can manage the way your unit runs all day long. This means you can turn the unit to a low temperature when you are at home but raise it when you are regularly out of the house. If you program the unit to turn on an hour before you get home, you can arrive to a cool space instead of one that is stifling.

4. Serving More Than One Purpose

While you may only need a portable air conditioner just to cool your home, you can actually find units that can do much more. There are devices that can serve as a heater during cold months, a dehumidifier when the weather is rainy and a fan for when you simply need added ventilation. If you live in an area that experiences a variety of seasons, you may want to consider investing in a unit that can accommodate all the changes in weather.

5. Ditch the Central AC

These portable units run much more efficiently than central units do, which means you essentially get more bang for your buck. A central air conditioner can really hike up your utility bills. If you are mulling a decision between a central or portable unit, consider that the cost of installation alone on a central unit can be skyrocketing. In some areas, central AC isn’t even an option, and you may be forced to choose between a portable or window unit. These are economical alternatives that are great no matter if you are in an apartment or in a home.

The decision to go portable for your air conditioning needs can prove to be extremely advantageous. In addition to being convenient, these devices can actually save you money. You can use them to either replace or supplement your existing system. Thanks to technology, there are units that come equipped with cost-saving tools such as a programmable thermostats. There are even portable air conditioners that can heat and dehumidify your home. To lower your utility bills without sacrificing on keeping your home or business comfortable, explore the option of a portable air conditioner.

About Author

Slightly maniacal with a chronic case of curiosity, Jeff Flowers is just a dude that annoys everyone around him with his long-winded goofiness. Whether he's playing with his sons toy dinosaurs or letting his daughter paint his toenails, he lives by a creed that life is too short to grow up. From beer to home living, Jeff is just trying to hack his way through life and write a few notes about it along the way. You can follow his ramblings here, or listen to him complain about Austin traffic on Twitter at @Bukowsky.

Comments

I completely agree that it is possible to have a cheap way of cooling down your home. I think that it is important to target the rooms that are the hottest, or get the most sunlight. If you can cool down those rooms, then I think that it could cool down the house a lot as well.

I like the one room at a time idea. My wife and I are always looking for ways to save money, but neither of us can stand to be hot in our house. I like the idea of only cooling the room we are in. Our apartment is small and it is just the two of us, so this could be a great solution for us.